Capping head for bottle capping machines



Nov. .21, 1939. A. J. MAREK CAPPING HEAD FOR BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINES Filed April 7, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor l6 15 I2 22 24 7 2! I4 X K v y 71 w m w.

Nov. 21, 1939.

A. J. MARQEK 2,180,812

CAPPING HEAD FOR BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINES Filed April 7, 1 939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor b I y 1% ffmq I Attorney Patented Nov. 21, 1939 i I "UNITED STATES OAPP'ING HEAD F012. BOTTLE CAPPING' MACHINES Anthony Joseph Marek, London, England Application April 7, 1939, Serial No. 266,708

In Great Britain December. 17, 1937 2 Claims. 11. 226 a r This invention'relates to a capping head for a machine for capping bottles by forcing a peripheral portion of the skirt of a metal cap under an annular lip on the bottle neck. This method of capping bottles and machines for performing the capping operation are known per se. The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for this purpose and relates more particularly to the actual capping head, the particular object of the invention being to provide a compact capping head of unit construction, which may be inserted into or removed from the machine frame as a self contained unit of small compass. The invention is not concerned with M the construction of the machine frame, but it may be mentioned that in its simplest form same may consist of any fixture to which the self contained capping headmay be attached, or the machine frame may also include hand or power operated means for performing the capping operation.

According to the invention, a capping head for capping bottles by forcing a peripheral portion of the skirtof a metal cap under an annular lip on the bottle neck comprises an outer casing having a cylindrical bore, a plunger axially movable in said bore, anintegral or sectional deformable ring coaxially mounted in said plunger and adapted to engage the skirt of the metal cap, a plurality of equiangularly disposed slide members in the plunger surrounding and engaging said ring and a plurality. of radially disposed toggle described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a section view of the unit construction capping head, on the line I-I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a section on the line IIII of Figure 1, certain parts being omitted for clearness;

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 2, showing the slide members and the deformable ring in operative position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the plunger; Figures 5 to 7 show details in perspective; Figure 8 is a section similar to Figure 1 of another embodiment;

Figures 9 and 10 show details of the embodiment. illustrated in Figure 8, in plan View and perspective respectively;

-Figure 11 shows a detail applicable to either of the two embodiments. Referring to Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings, the outer casing of the capping head comprises a head portion I and a skirt portion 2. The head portion I has a central, axial tapped bore 3,

whereby the complete head may be screwed on to 10 a threaded spindle or bolt provided on a frame or any suitable fixture of the capping machine. The skirt portion 2 has an axial cylindrical bore 4, wherein a plunger 5 is mounted for axial slid-' ing. A spring 6 is disposed between the headv I 15 and the plunger 5, tending to press the plunger downwards. The downward stroke of the plunger 5 is limited by screw bolts 1, which are screwed into the plunger 5 and engage with their heads shoulders 8 formed at the bottom of 20 recesses 9 in the head portion l. The upward stroke of the plunger is limited by washers l0 surrounding the shanks of the bolts 1.

The plunger 5 is formed on its underside with a plurality of equiangularly and radially disposed '25 recesses H, having parallel side walls. Each of the recesses has mounted therein for radial sliding a slide member I2, the slide members being held in position by'a ring 13 secured to the underside of the plunger 5 by screws 14. Normally, each slide member I2 is pressed outwardly by a spring [5 housed in a recess of the ring 13 and gle element [1, shown in perspective in Fi ure 7. The toggle elements are radially disposed and each'is laterally guided in a recess II of the plunger 5. In'plan view the inner end of each toggle element is straight and in end elevationm rounded and engagesa correspondingly formed shoulder on the associated slide member. l 2,"as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 6. The outer end of each toggle member is formed with a rounded head enlargement and is curved in plan view. 45 The outer ends of the toggle elements bear against a shoulder 18 of the skirt portion 2 and are held in positionby a ring. l9, which in turn is held in position by aresilient ring 20 sprung into a groove of the skirt portion 2. 5

It will be appreciated that in the arrangement described the toggle elements I! are in pivotal engagement at their outer and inner ends with the skirt of the outer casing and their associated slide members respectively. In the inoperative '55 position shown in Figure 1 each toggle occupies a downwardly inclined position, owing to the pressure exerted upon its inner end by the spring 6 through the plunger 5. In this position the slide members I2, which bear against said inner ends of the toggle elments I1, are farthest apart from the axis of the machine.

Coaxially mounted in the plunger 5 there is a deformable ring 2|, e. g. of rubber, which is held in position by an annular element 22 screwed into the ring |3. The deformable ring 2| is provided with a plurality of peripheral notches 23, in each of which engages a portion of the plunger 5 situated between two of the recesses II when the machine is in its inoperative position shown in Figures 1 and 2. Each peripheral portion of the deformable ring 2| between two of the notches 23 is engaged by one of the slides |2. Further, the bottom of the plunger 5 is dished at 24 to receive the top part of a metal cap whereby a bottle is to be sealed. The deformable ring 2| is so positioned with reference to the dished portion 22 of the plunger 5 that when the bottle to be sealed is inserted into the capping head through the opening of the ring 22, the deformable ring is co -planar with the portion of the bottle neck underneath the lip. I

In operation the bottle neck with the cap placed thereon is introduced through the opening of the annular member 22 until the top surface of the cap touches the bottom of the dished portion 24, whereupon the plunger 5 is pushed up with the aid of the bottle against the action of the spring 6. The upward movement of the plunger causes the toggle elements H to rock about their outer ends upwardly, whereby the toggles push the slid-es l2 inwardly, thereby causing the ring 2| to-be deformed and its inner diameter to be reduced, whereby the ring 2| presses the skirt of the metal cap with allround uniformity under the lip of the bottle neck inwardly, thus sealing the bottle. When the upward pressure on the bottle is released the parts return into their positions shown in Figure l,'whereupon the sealed bottle can be removed.

During the deformation of the ring 2| the notches 23 close up as shown in Figure 3, the notches enabling the deformation to result in symmetrical and uniform contraction of the ring 2|.

The embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 10 differs from that described in that the toggle elements 2%: thereof have an outer end which is straight in plan view. In order that the outer ends of these toggle elements 25 may have a good seat, an annular member 25 having fiat faces 21 is inserted into the skirt portion 2, the outer ends of the toggle element bearing against the curved corners formed between the flat faces 27 and theflange 28 of the member 26, which is held in position by a ring 29 screwed into the skirt portion 2 and having a flange lip 30 retaining the toggle elements 25 in position.

InFigure- 8 a bottle just being sealed is indicated, the parts being accordingly shown in 0perative position.

It is possible to make the deformable ring 2| in arcuate sections by dividing it radially in planes bisecting the angles formed by the notches 23. This modification is illustrated in Figure 11 which shows a ring section 3| secured to a slide member I2 by a tongue and groove connection. These ring sections 3| form a complete ring, similar to 2|, in the inoperative as well as in the operative position, and the action of a sectional ring is exactly the same as the action of an undivided ring.

Having thus described my said invention what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A capping head for a machine for capping bottles by forcing a peripheral portion of the skirt of ametal cap under an annular lip on a bottle neck, comprising an outer casing having a cylindrical bore, a plunger axially movable in said bore, said plunger being provided with a plurality of radial grooves, a deformable ring coaxially mounted in said plunger and adapted to engage the skirt of the metal cap, a plurality of slide members movable in said grooves and engaging said ring, and a plurality of radially;

disposed toggle elements, each toggle element pivotally engaging the inner surface of said outer casing at its outer end and one of said slide membersat its inner end, so as to cause said slide members to move inwardly when the plunger moves in one direction and to allow them tomove outwardly when the plunger moves in the opposite direction, each toggle element also extending into one ofthe grooves of the plunger and being laterally guided thereby during the toggle action.

2. A capping head for a machine'for capping bottles by forcing a peripheral portion of the skirt of a metal cap under an annular lip on a bottle .neok, comprising an outer casing having a cylindrical bore, a plunger axially movable in said bore, a deformable ring coaxially mounted in said plunger and adapted to engage the skirt of the metal cap, a plurality of equiangularly disposed slide members in the plunger surrounding and engaging said ring and a plurality of radially-disposed toggle elements, each toggle element pivotally engaging the inner surface of said outer 1 

